13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. DCXLI)

1. A Twitter thread of Messy offices to make you feel better The thread was instigated with a photo of the late Swiss psychologist known for his work on child development, Jean Piaget. (We’re trying to figure out if that’s an old timey toaster he’s pointing to). Other Twitter users chimed in with other Monday morning office…

The Toilet Duty Dukes and Duchesses of England

Those precious moments of alone time in the bathroom are priceless to many of us, and yet strangely enough, it was one of the few luxuries the King and Queen of England could not afford. Until as recently as the 20th century, the British monarchy appointed what was known as the “Groom of the Stool”, a courtier responsible for…

Tiny American Mugshots of the Anti-Espionage Age

From the 1930s to the 1950s, these charming little I.D. badges were rolled out across America as a “fail-safe” homeland security measure in a crackdown on the threat of industrial espionage. Each badge gives clues to a story, whether you’re trying to piece together the identity of the person or the company they worked for.…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. DCXL)

1. Hegra, an Ancient City in Saudi Arabia Untouched for Millennia The archaeological site, now open to tourists, offers clues about the mysterious empire that built it and its more famous sister city of Petra in Jordan. Previously, foreign tourists had to obtain special permission from the government to visit, which fewer than 1,000 did…

Isn’t it About Time We Rediscovered The MiniDisc?

This one goes out to Generation Y. Part of being a collector means taking a bit of risk and making a prediction that something might appreciate in value. The key is often to find something that’s cheap and rare, and buying it before everyone else discovers they want it too. I was in the car…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. DCXXXIX)

1. The Yuppie Handbook, 1984 View the full book in the Internet Archive (with an account – free to sign up), found on Present & Correct. 2. Art Deco Disco: Did you ever notice the 1970s Design Revival of the Jazz Age? A forgotten mash-up or two eras, compiled by Evan Collins on Are.na 3.…

The Ghost Bath Houses of Paris

I was researching old Parisian advertisements from the 19th century (as you do) when I came across this one for a palatial Turkish bath house near the opera house. Behind its vaulted arches, magnificent mosaics were lit by stars of coloured glass and according to a 19th century ‘Bather’s Guide’ to Paris, the establishment boasted Roman-Turkish hammams,…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. DCXXXVIII)

1. A photographer with 60,000 undeveloped images Holds History of Rock ‘n’ Roll Charles Daniels took intimate pictures of his friends the Rolling Stones, Hendrix and others – but few have seen the light of day until now. Despite his proximity to history, however, Daniels never took his bounty seriously. “Most of what I shot,…

The Pictures that Redefined Photography as a Fine Art

It would take most people a moment to figure out that the images above aren’t charcoal sketches by Degas or some other Impressionist artist. These are in fact photographs from the late 19th century, artfully manipulated to look like paintings. They were made at a time when it hadn’t yet occurred to most of the…

The Enchanting (and sometimes macabre) World of Ex-Voto

It should come as no surprise that some of the world’s most fascinating collections are found in churches. But today we’re not talking about Florence’s abundance of Renaissance murals or the Baroque masterpieces in Rome. Arguably the most intriguing religious collections are the ones overlooked by art historians, created by self-taught local artisans, donated by…